[TCFO] Arc 3 – Chapter 138
The Vicious Princess Wants to Reverse Fate (32)
Zhou Min was still stunned. This didn’t seem like something Shangguan Qi would do! Could it be because she got hurt for him, so he felt guilty?
Seeing Zhou Min’s lack of response, Shangguan Qi turned his head and saw her leaning against a large tree, seemingly lost in thought.
Shangguan Qi felt an inexplicable frustration but suddenly sighed helplessly. He reached out, grabbed her right hand, and pulled her to lie on his back, effortlessly lifting her.
As he lifted Zhou Min, Shangguan Qi marvelled for the second time at how incredibly light she was, as if she had no weight. The first time was last night when he held her. Her frailty confused him. What kind of determination did she possess to resist being moved, stubbornly acting as his cushion, blocking the final strike of the giant python?
Shangguan Qi walked steadily, and only when Zhou Min was on his back did she realise her limbs were a bit stiff. However, the overwhelming joy and excitement in her heart were so intense. But thinking of the tragic events in her past life...
Happiness always feels precarious, hence the various measures prioritising one thing over another. That’s why our past lives had such an ending. But in this life, Shangguan Qi, why do I still feel so sad being this close to you?
Zhou Min lay on Shangguan Qi’s back, memories of her past life flashing through her mind. She gently rested her head on his shoulder, hands encircling his neck. Her breath brushed against his exposed skin, and she watched as Shangguan Qi’s body trembled slightly because of her. Although he instantly regained composure, tiny goosebumps appeared on his neck. Zhou Min knew that Shangguan Qi wasn’t as calm as he appeared. For some reason, a bitter smile curled on her lips.
Shangguan Qi carried Zhou Min along the river for a long time, stopping only when the evening glow filled the sky. Finding a safe spot, he gently set her down and again applied medicine to her wounds. Shangguan Qi was indeed a miraculous healer; the effect of his wound medicine was unbelievable. While not an instant regeneration, the bleeding had stopped, and the wound was visibly healing.
In four or five days, the wounds on Zhou Min’s back would begin to scab over.
As Shangguan Qi lit the campfire, he gently and quickly applied medicine to Zhou Min’s wounds. However, Zhou Min’s gaze was fixed, seemingly lost, as she stared at the trail of footprints.
“What are you looking at?” After tending to Zhou Min, Shangguan Qi turned around and sat across from her. The crackling of the campfire echoed between them, and he observed Zhou Min’s face, now reddened by the flames, with a hint of curiosity. It was the first time he wondered what this seemingly bold and wilful woman was thinking.
“Looking at footprints,” Zhou Min replied, but her eyes didn’t meet Shangguan Qi’s. Instead, he followed her gaze to the footprints illuminated by the flames.
“Are they that interesting!?” he asked.
“I once heard a legend about footprints,” Zhou Min said, turning her head to look at the man with a calm expression. Despite his dishevelled appearance and stains, his overall demeanour remained unaffected – cold and rational. “The legend goes that a person, after death, saw God. God, or the will of heaven, was questioned by the person, ‘Why did you give me so much pain and hardship, making my life difficult, preventing me from getting what I wanted and loving the person I wanted to love?’ So, God opened the mirror of heaven, allowing the person to review the path they had walked in their lifetime. In the end, the person discovered that besides their own footprints, there was another set of footprints. So, they asked God whose footprints those were. God replied, ‘Everyone has a guardian angel dedicated to them. This angel will accompany you throughout your life. However, when this person saw the most challenging part of their journey, they found that the two sets of footprints had become one. Angry, the person said to God, ‘Look, when things got tough, I was alone.’ But God just smiled at them, full of melancholy and compassion, and said, ‘Those footprints are not yours. They belong to your angel, who was carrying you.’”
Zhou Min gazed into the campfire, her eyes somewhat vacant. But after telling this story, she suddenly looked up at Shangguan Qi. “Do you think this is my most challenging and difficult time now?”
Though Shangguan Qi didn’t know what an angel was, from the story’s context, he guessed that it referred to a protector. However, he didn’t understand why Zhou Min would ask him this question at this moment, and her eyes seemed so complex and sadly compelling.
“Hehe... I’m just overthinking,” Zhou Min smiled with bitter self-mockery. Even though she didn’t scream or ask in sorrow, Shangguan Qi felt that this version of Zhou Min gave off an extremely fragile feeling, as if she were as delicate as a bubble, ready to burst at any moment.
“We will get out of here! We will survive,” Shangguan Qi thought Zhou Min was worried they might die in the jungle, and for the first time, he awkwardly voiced reassurance, sounding somewhat cold.
The wind stirred up sporadic sparks from the campfire. In the silent surroundings, only the rustling of the trees and the gurgling of the river could be heard. Zhou Min leaned against a giant rock behind her, sleeping uncomfortably due to the cold of the jungle night and the discomfort of her back wounds.
Everyone has a guardian angel. But Shangguan Qi, in my past life, I did everything to protect you, only to lose myself in the end, and I lost my angel...
She couldn’t cross the road paved with the fresh blood of loved ones.
Apart from the slight deep sleep he fell into last night due to exhaustion, Shangguan Qi had been sleeping lightly. Therefore, the sound of Zhou Min’s movements caused him to open his ancient and calm eyes.
Seeing Zhou Min shivering and curled up in her arms, Shangguan Qi got up, walked over, and embraced her. Men generally have a higher body temperature than women, and mutual warmth was the best way to keep warm. Zhou Min woke up when Shangguan Qi touched her, and as she looked up, she saw those calm eyes.
